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Former Kerala Minister R Balakrishna Pillai, jailed on February 18 for corruption by the Supreme Court for a year, is likely to be released on Tuesday, thanks to the generous amnesty scheme of the Congress-led UDF Government, leading to the release of 138 prisoners on the State Formation Day, November 1.
Pillai, father of Forest Minister Ganesh Kumar who stirred a hornet’s nest last week by calling Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan a sexual pervert, is being released before completion of one-year term despite the fact that he has been in jail for 181 days only. This is the first time a convict punished for corruption by the apex court is being given amnesty in the State.
The Government order approving the recommendation of the home department dated October 24 for the release of Pillai and 137 other convicts has already been issued. Though the apex court had awarded one-year rigorous imprisonment for Pillai, he was even otherwise to be released on November 23, considering his work in confinement and good behaviour.
The UDF Government, which is heavily dependent on the lone MLA of the Kerala Congress (B) — of which Pillai is the chairman — for survival due to its wafer thin majority, has already granted him 75-day parole. Also, he had not stayed inside the prison during the entire remaining period as he was shifted to a five-star hospital on August 9.
The CPI(M)-led Opposition LDF is already up in arms against the Government’s decision with Achuthanandan charging it with humiliating the Supreme Court. Though the Government can justify the decision technically, observers are saying that the decision has obviously been taken to ensure the early release of Pillai.
Pillai was sentenced to imprisonment by the Supreme Court for corruption involved in the awarding of the contract for repair and renovation works at the Idamalayar Hydel project when he was Power Minister in 1982. The man who had led the 19-year-long legal battle against him was Achuthanandan.
“We know why such a decision has been taken,” said lawyer-media analyst K Jayasankar. “We haven’t heard of declaration of amnesty on Kerala Formation Day. Also, this November 1 is not special as it is not the 50th, 75th or 100th anniversary of the State formation,” he said. Former MP Sebastian Paul pointed out that Pillai had not spent enough days in prison to qualify for release.
However, sources in the ruling UDF said that the Government had not violated any provisions of the Constitution or Supreme Court guidelines to grant amnesty to Pillai and others. “Moreover, this is not about Pillai. He is just one among the 138 prisoners, who would be released tomorrow (Tuesday) as part of the scheme if the reports are correct,” said a senior Congress leader.
Pillai, father of Forest Minister Ganesh Kumar who stirred a hornet’s nest last week by calling Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan a sexual pervert, is being released before completion of one-year term despite the fact that he has been in jail for 181 days only. This is the first time a convict punished for corruption by the apex court is being given amnesty in the State.
The Government order approving the recommendation of the home department dated October 24 for the release of Pillai and 137 other convicts has already been issued. Though the apex court had awarded one-year rigorous imprisonment for Pillai, he was even otherwise to be released on November 23, considering his work in confinement and good behaviour.
The UDF Government, which is heavily dependent on the lone MLA of the Kerala Congress (B) — of which Pillai is the chairman — for survival due to its wafer thin majority, has already granted him 75-day parole. Also, he had not stayed inside the prison during the entire remaining period as he was shifted to a five-star hospital on August 9.
The CPI(M)-led Opposition LDF is already up in arms against the Government’s decision with Achuthanandan charging it with humiliating the Supreme Court. Though the Government can justify the decision technically, observers are saying that the decision has obviously been taken to ensure the early release of Pillai.
Pillai was sentenced to imprisonment by the Supreme Court for corruption involved in the awarding of the contract for repair and renovation works at the Idamalayar Hydel project when he was Power Minister in 1982. The man who had led the 19-year-long legal battle against him was Achuthanandan.
“We know why such a decision has been taken,” said lawyer-media analyst K Jayasankar. “We haven’t heard of declaration of amnesty on Kerala Formation Day. Also, this November 1 is not special as it is not the 50th, 75th or 100th anniversary of the State formation,” he said. Former MP Sebastian Paul pointed out that Pillai had not spent enough days in prison to qualify for release.
However, sources in the ruling UDF said that the Government had not violated any provisions of the Constitution or Supreme Court guidelines to grant amnesty to Pillai and others. “Moreover, this is not about Pillai. He is just one among the 138 prisoners, who would be released tomorrow (Tuesday) as part of the scheme if the reports are correct,” said a senior Congress leader.
